Not Just Bringing Home the Bacon

Young men spending more time in the kitchen

Men in the kitchen are nothing new, but men as everyday home cooks seem to be reaching a boiling point. Men have typically made guest cameos as cooks—for example, taking on outdoor-grilling duties—but today men are simply playing a larger role in meal planning and preparation. Nearly half of men 18-34 participate in the decision about what gets served at home, according to SMG and The Boston Consulting Group. And a University of Michigan study of Gen X found “men are surprisingly involved in shopping for food and cooking”; they’re not yet on par with women, but they cook an average of eight meals a week.

Drivers of this trend include an urge to take a more hands-on role in personal health and men not necessarily being the sole breadwinner. But also Millennial men are finding more enjoyment in cooking; they are more likely to claim they “love to cook and consider myself and expert” and “enjoy cooking and being creative in the kitchen” compared to other generations. Non-Millennial men are more likely to claim “I don’t mind cooking, it’s just one of those things I do.”